Thirty-four yachts have officially entered the ninth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 starting from Antigua on Monday 20th February 2017. With almost double the number of entries as this time last year, the race has already attracted a magnificent fleet and is expected to better last year's record entry of 70 yachts.

Over the next four months, a huge variety of yachts will arrive in Antigua, along with crews from all corners of the world in order to prepare for the start of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's 600 mile yacht race around eleven Caribbean islands.

]]>info@rorc.org.uk (RORC)frontpageFri, 11 Nov 2016 15:05:23 +0000A Passionate Adventure: Lanzarote prepares for the RORC Transatlantic Racehttp://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/a-passionate-adventure-lanzarote-prepares-for-the-rorc-transatlantic-race.html
http://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/a-passionate-adventure-lanzarote-prepares-for-the-rorc-transatlantic-race.htmlBound for Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada, 2,865 nmiles across the Atlantic, the third edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race has once again attracted a varied fleet, from MOD70s to Maxis, four Class40s and everything in between from 40-112ft (12.19-34.14m). Veteran professional sailors will race on the same course as first time Corinthians; all making tricky tactical decisions to ensure the fastest crossing and keep the momentum going on this long, intense race. The race is a competitive adventure and on the bucket list of many sailors. For most, the passion to race never diminishes.

Calero Marinas prepareAs winter arrives in the Northern Hemisphere and sailors make the most of the tradewinds to head south for a season of Caribbean racing and the RORC Caribbean 600 in February 2017, Lanzarote in the Canary Islands is a hub for yachts preparing for their transatlantic crossing.

]]>info@rorc.org.uk (RORC)frontpageTue, 08 Nov 2016 11:15:15 +00002016 RORC Season's Points Championship winners announcedhttp://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/2016-rorc-season-points-championship-winners-announced.html
http://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/2016-rorc-season-points-championship-winners-announced.htmlFollowing a highly successful 2016 season, winners in The Royal Ocean Racing Club's (RORC) annual Season's Points Championship have been confirmed. The prizewinners will be awarded for their racing prowess during the annual RORC Dinner & Prize Giving ceremony to be at the Intercontinental Hotel, Hyde Park Corner, London on Saturday 19th November. Ticket information for sailing's equivalent of the 'Oscars' and a truly memorable occasion can be found: http://www.rorc.org/events/royal-ocean-racing-club-annual-dinner-a-prize-giving.html

The RORC Season's Points Championship is the largest and arguably most competitive offshore yacht series in the world. Starting almost a year ago with the RORC Transatlantic Race, it consisted of 14 races where over 300 yachts from 15 different nations raced over 6,500 miles. The modern version of the championship is far from domestic as it includes the RORC Transatlantic Race, RORC Caribbean 600, Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race, the brand new Ile d'Ouessant Race and Rolex Middle Sea Race.

]]>info@rorc.org.uk (RORC)frontpageFri, 04 Nov 2016 14:36:31 +0000Trailblazers of the RORC Transatlantic Race http://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/trailblazers-of-the-rorc-transatlantic-race.html
http://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/trailblazers-of-the-rorc-transatlantic-race.htmlRacing across the Atlantic evokes the primal desires of any offshore sailor and the Grenada-bound RORC Transatlantic Race, departing from Marina Lanzarote on Saturday 26th November, has attracted a highly diverse range of boats and crews to compete in the third edition.

Leopard out to break the monohull record

Whilst the Atlantic is only half the size of the Pacific, Mid-Atlantic is as far away from land as possible, save Point Nemo in the depths of the Southern Ocean and Mike Slade's 100ft canting keel maxi, Leopard 3 is no stranger to the Atlantic. Leopard has accomplished five separate Transatlantic records over the last nine years and has crossed the Atlantic 12 times, with this race being Boat Captain, Chris Sherlock's 30th crossing. Leopard 3 is very capable of breaking the current monohull record for the RORC Transatlantic Race, set by Jean-Paul Riviere's Finot 100, Nomad IV in the last race in 10 days 07 hours 06 mins 59 secs.

The biennial event is the world's biggest offshore race and the last edition attracted a record-sized fleet of 356 starters. The 47th race is expected to be no different, with a diverse fleet of yachts from around the world eager to secure a spot when the online entry system opens at midday (UTC) on 9th January 2017. Such is the draw of this classic 600-mile race, it was oversubscribed in under 24 minutes last time round!

Following interest from a number of superyacht owners and skippers wishing to take part in this classic offshore race, the RORC Race Committee has elected to lift the 100ft monohull limit opening the race up to the new breed of fast and agile cruiser/racer designs such as Peter Harrison's beautiful Farr designed ketch Sojana, the new Swan 115's and Baltic 115's, to name but a few. These yachts are regularly seen on the superyacht race circuit and have always been eligible to race in another RORC classic 600-miler, the annual RORC Caribbean 600 from Antigua.

]]>ne@rorc.org.uk (Nick Elliot)frontpageMon, 03 Oct 2016 14:09:55 +0000RORC Cherbourg Race Report - Champagne in Cherbourghttp://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/rorc-cherbourg-race-report-champagne-in-cherbourg.html
http://www.rorc.org/2016-race-news/rorc-cherbourg-race-report-champagne-in-cherbourg.htmlHugo Tardivel's French A31 ColumbusCircle is the overall winner of the RORC Cherbourg Race. The crew will be celebrating with hundreds of sailors from the RORC fleet at the Yacht Club de Cherbourg. Gilles Fournier's J/133 Pintia was second, just five seconds ahead of Nick Jones' First British 44.7 Lisa, after IRC time correction. However Lisa's result virtually assures the team of the overall win in the 2016 RORC Season's Points Championship, with a race to spare.

"This is the first time we have won a RORC race overall so we are so happy" commented Hugo Tardivel. "Although I raced in a Laser when I was younger, we only started sailing in ColumbusCircle three years ago and this is our second season racing. We have gradually been increasing our level of performance, so to win with our last race of the season is a real joy. FoggyDew was with us all the way, until we decided to go to the east in the middle of the Channel because of the change in the tide. We carried our Code Zero for most of the race, until right at the end when our spinnaker allowed us to make up some time. We will be celebrating in Cherbourg with Champagne tonight!"

The penultimate race of the RORC Season's Points Championship often has a party atmosphere, it is the last race of the RORC season in English and French waters. About seven hundred sailors will be making the dash to France, in a variety of yachts racing under the IRC Rating system, and under the Class40 Rule. For some classes, the RORC Cherbourg Race is the season decider, for others who are already assured of class wins, there is the opportunity to race and celebrate in Cherbourg.